Recording lock



J. W. BRYCE.

RECORDING LOCK.

APPLICATION F|LED JUNE 26. 1920.

1,417,715. Patented May30,1922.

6 SHEETS-SHEET l.

O .WV f @@LQMJ@ 3 40 '111,101,1101111111111 111111111111111fr111l"11111111111111111'1111" J. W. BRYCE.

RECORDING LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEZG. 1920.

1,417,715. Patented May 30, 1922.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l n e 11130@ @64M/J V /c/Q/ J. W. BRYCE.

RECORDING LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE26. 1920.

1 ,4 1 '7,7 1 5. Patented May 30, 1922.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

1. W. BRYCE.

RECORDING LOCK.

APPLICATION FILFD JUNEZS. 1920.

l ,41 7,7 1 5. Patented May 30, 1922.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

A mmmwmmmmm f r l J. W. BRYCE.

RECORDING LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED Ilmme, 1920.

.Patented May30,1922.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

1. W. BHYCE. RECORDING LOCK.

APPLRCATION FILED JUNEZG. 1920. 1,417,715. Patented May30,1922.

6 SHEETS-SHEET E.

Iii/7 @fu/eb ww( UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

` i ERYCE, or RINefHvAiiIToN,l NEW YORK. AssIGNoR To INTERNATIONAL TIME f ffhpplication tiled .Tune 26, 1920. Serial No. 391,972.

, REeRDIim COMPANY' or NEW YORK, or ENDIcoTT, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION ,"'OENEW YoRx.,

ik To cttw/50m t may concern.' f.

Be it known that I, 'JAMEslVfBRYom a citi-zen of the UnitedStates, residing at Bing- .hamton, in the county of Broome and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Recording' Locks, of which the followingis a full, clear, and

, exact description.

. The `inventionfwhicli forms the subject of this .application for Letters Patent, is an improvement in recording locks. In the systems which involve these instri'imentalities,`

y one ora number of locks Aon the door or l Y doors v of a store, office or Warehouse, are

equipped with .means which, operated by I special keys, send toarecording device located at, any desired vmore or less remote point, electricalimpulses which operate to record, usually byprinting, the particular lock operatedythe key used; whether such key was inserted from the outside or the inr side of the door or lock, and whether it was n `used foriu'nlocking or for locking the door.

Inconjunction with the means" for givingk these indications,fthe recorders are usually provided with means for printing` the exact timeof the records and in some cases are dersigned to receive the autograph of the person i, who has used a key in the lock.

The mechanism which I have devised and which I shall hereinafter` describe is one for accomplishing` the operations enumerated above, but it is designed,rconstructed and operated to do this more certainly, rapidly and leectively than any other device of thisl 'character of'which Iam aware. IPrimarily the-time. lelement in my new `system is its .most distinguishing characteristic. In other wordsijn those systems as .heretofore carried rent impulses of varying strengths.

out, the recording meansv have been set up or adjustedv by a succession of steps or by cur- The y ke`y,.`for example, uponinsertion into a lock lsendsby suitableineans, impulses to indicate whether `it was inserted from Without or o wasrequired forthecomplete operation,

cate thevother items of information, so that a distinct and substantial interval of. time andf itwasgenerally necessaryy to maintain Specification of Letters Patent.

RECORDING LOCK.

Patented May 30,

up of the transmitting means by a single operation and the printing or recording of all such items of information in the shortest possible `interval of time. To this end I connect the lock or a plurality of locks with the recorder by meansof a Acable containing a plurality of conducting wires, and by the insertion and rotation of a key in the lock, circuits are established through one or more or all of such wires which operate to'set up the recording devices to start in operation a recorder motor to print in the minimum of time, the set up record and to restore all parts to. their normal condition.

The practical and complete solution of the .problems involved in this system requires much more than the recording of a single lock and key, anddemands the proper recording of a plurality, perhaps, of both, and to meet ally practicablel and commercial requirements therefore, I 'have designed the system for use with eight locks and eight different keys for each lock, for which purpose I require and use eleven separate wires lor conductors forming circuits between the locks and the recorder, the locks being connected therewith in multiple. IVith these circuits I employ three contact controlling plungers on each side of a lock which are adapted, according to the peculiar conformation of thckeys to set `up permutations and combinations ofthe contacts that control certain recorder magnets for indicating any one of yeightdifferent keys, and in the recorder I use other magnets for indicating whether the key has been inserted from without or within, and whether to unlock or lock a door, all of which magnets are controlled by the circuits intermediate the locks and the recorder'. In addition to the aboveI employ a series of contacts which are primarily set or adjusted4 to send'permutations and combina-y tionsof impulses that control certain other recorder magnets which set up the means for indicating which of the series of eight locks has been operated. I

lFinally I `provide non-interference means Ithat will vinsure the operationof only one lithe'.transmitting and.` .receivmg devices in i synchronous. operation. i Y.

lock of thegroup or series at the same time, and means for controlling the operation of the recorder motor, the printing mechanism and the like, and generally for securing the certain and efficient operation of the system as a whole.

In the accompanying drawings this invention is illustrated in the most practicable and efficient form which I have devised for carryin it out.

ig. 1 is a view in elevation of the interior mechanism of the lock.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical cross-section of the lock.

Fig. 3 is a similar section of the lock casing, ut showing the elements-of the lock in elevation.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the lock czsing exhibitingr the interior mechanism in p an.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 1, looking from below.

Fig. 6 is a Section on the line 6 6 of 1. ig. 7 is a section on line 7 7 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged sectional views of two different pairs of contacts shown in Fig. 7

Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are vertical sections showing the first, second and third contact controlling plungers and contacts associated therewith.

Figs. 13, 14 and 15 are enlarged detail views of certain controlling levers operating in conjunction with the parts of the lock rotated by the key, and

Fig. 16 is a diagram of a complete system illustrating the circuit connections and relations of the parts of yboth lock and recorder.

The lock herein shown is of the well known Yale type, and, as best shown in Fig. 2, comprises a casing l, ada )ted to be secured to or within the body o a door, and two horizontal cylindrical casings 2 and 3, with key holes on opposite sides of the door. Locks of this character are now well known in the art and require no detailed description beyond the statement that the key plungers 4 for controlling the rotary barrel are 0f the usual character, and in addition thereto I employ three other similar plungers 5 inside of each group as shown. andl such plungers are adapted to be engaged and set according to the conformation of a prolongation of.: the key used.

Following now -in the description of mechanism the order of operation, as f'ar as possible, when a key 80 is inserted and turned in the lock-each plunger 5 has a rounded head 6. Figs. 10, 11 and 12 and above the latter are electrical contacts. Above the first plunger are two separated contacts 7 adapted to be brought together when theplunger rises; above the second are three contacts. the middle contact 8 being normally in engagement with the lower contact 9 but adapted by the raising of the plunger to be brought into engagement with the upper contact 9; and above the third plunger are two separated contacts 10 similar to those in Fig. 10. By the insertion of a key any one, two, all or none of the plungers, according to the shape of the key end. will be raised, thus establishing diflerent permutations and combinations of circuit connections, the nat-ure and purpose ot' which will be hereinafter described.

The key barrel, which is adapted to be rotated by a key inserted from either without or within, carries four disks 11, 12, 13 and 14. On the disk 11 there is one long cam or )rojection 15; on the disk 12 are three relatively long projections 16, and a high point or projection 19; on disk 13 is one long projection 17,'and on disk 14 are two teeth or cam parts 18, all as shown in Fig. 1.

In the plane of the disk 12 is a pivoted full' stroke paWl 2O having an insulating projection 21 adapted when the pawl is swung to the left to engage and close contacts 22. This pawl is engaged and turned b v the high point or rojection 19 when the key is turned in the ock. The shaft 23 on which this pawl is mounted extends through a slot in the bolt of the lock 24. l,

A key, after its insertion may be turned through a limited angle without affecting any part of the recording device, but if it be turned to a greater angle, the pawl 20 drops. encounters a shoulder on one of the projections 16, and thereby locks the key against backward movement. Hence when any one has turned a key to a certain extent, he must turn it tothe full extent to either lock or unlock the door before he can withdraw it from the lock, and in so doing will send a record of the operation which is printed by the recorder.

Assuming, therefore, that a key has been inserted, say for locking the door in which event it must `be turned clockwise in Fig. 1, the first effect will be to set up a given permutation or combination of the key contacts 7, 8. 9. or 10. In the initial or normal position of the lock mechanism the two teeth orcam parts 18 on disk 1-1 embrace the pointed end of a level' 24, pivoted at 25. This lever has rigidly attached to it a U-shaped piece 26 from one side'of which depends au arm 2T so that such arm will have a. movement corresponding to any movement of the lever 21. As soon as a key is turned in the lock the high points 18 force back the end of' lever 24 and this rocks the arm 27 with the result that an inclined cam 28 in a lateral extension at the end of said -arm is shifted relatively toa pin 29 which passes through said slot, and the end of said pin is lowered. This. as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. rocks` a bar 3() in which said pin is set, carried spring contacts 32 forcing the same backtoward a row of contacts 42. The parts temporarily remain in this position by the" engagement of `an extension of a pivoted armature. 33, of an electro-magnet 34 in the lock case, with a stepped .projection 35 on the arm 27, as shown in Figs. 1, 6 and 14.

The further rotation of the keyv clockwise brings the long cam 15 against the pointed end of Aa lever 36, pivoted at 37, and lying in the plane of the disk 11. The lower end of this lever has a hook that normally engages with the hooked extremity of an a-'rm 38, extending laterally from a lever 39, pivoted on the same shaft as'lever 24, and shown in detail in Fig. 13. l

The lower end of said lever 39 has a lateral extension containing an inclined slot 43 and through said slot extends the end of a pin 40,l Fig. 3, which is set in a swinging bar 41 similar to bar 30, and lying in front of the series of spring contacts 42, as shown in Figs. 2, 8 and 9. Normally, or while the lever 39 is engaged by the lever 36, the pin 40 is in the high part of' the slot 43. and

hence the contacts 42 are held by the bar 41v out of engagement with contacts 32, but when the lever 36 is engaged by the cam 15 the lever 39 is unlocked and the spring contacts 42 pressing Vagainst the bar 41 force said bar forward and snap .onto the contacts 32.

When the key is turned to its full extent the cam 15 engages lever 39 which lies in the plane of disk 11 and forces it back, whereby the pin 4() travels to the high point of the Slot 43, and the contacts 42 controlled by said pin are thrown out of engagement with contacts 32. At the same time lever 39 is engaged and latchedfin this position by the hooked end of lever 36. It will be observed, however, that during every period while a key lis being turned either for locking or unlocking a door, and the backward movement of a key will manifestly have the same general effect as its forward movement, all of the contacts 32' and 42 are vfor a definite period brought together, and the effect of this will be explained by reference to Fig. 16 in the consideration of which only so much of the recorder shown will be described as is necessary to an understanding of the invention upon which this application is based,

and to take any special case for purposes of` illustration, assumethat contacts 7 alone are brought in engagement. From the lower contact a wire 45runs to the middle contact 8 of the second set. This contact being nor- ,mally in engagement with the lower contact 9, the circuit is continued by wire 46 to that one of contacts 42 which is numbered 47.

The wire 48, which leads from the upper contact 7, leads to that contact 42 which is numbered 49. These two of the contacts 42 are rendered active and when these contacts engage contacts 32, circuits to the re- Corder are completed through cable wires 50 and 51. One of these circuits includes a magnet 52 which,` in addition to its other functions, closes a circuit that starts in operationa/he motor in the recorder which is adapted ,to then make one revolution, and the other circuit 51 Iincludes la magnet 53, which together with magnet 52 controls a combinationof circuits that will render acder active another of the four contacts 55 which corresponds to the locking operation of the door.

Finally, in each4 lock, the lower contact 7, the middle contact 8 and the lower contact 10 are connected by a wire 66 with the three lock indicating contacts 65, and whatever the position of the key plungers 5, the circuit through wire 66 will always be complete. In each lock one or more or all -or none of the contacts 65 are therefore bent back orremoved, so that when the groups of contacts 32 and 42 are in engagement one of the possible combinations or permutations of connections capable of being established by the three contacts65 is set up, and this sends current to one or more or none vof the magnets 60 in the recorder energizing them and thus setting up thev combination that renders active that one of seven commutator 'segments 61, which corresponds to the particular lock operated. p

None of the key controlled contacts '7, 8, 9 and 10 can be operated without closing the circuit through one of the two magnets 52 and 62 and these magnets control the recorder motor. lVhen, therefore, a key is inserted and turned it sets up the combination that renders the appropriate commutator segments active so that when the brush 63 of such commutator is rotated over the segments by the motor the proper circuits will be closed that record the data corresponding to the active segments. Recorders capable of accomplishing this result are or for the purposes of this case may be assumed to be known, and hence no further description of these constructions or mode ,of operation is uired.

By following the contacts and circuits shown in Fig. 16, any other condition of the plun rs and contacts established by a key will` readily traced, and but one more example need be 'ven. Assume, then, that a key is used whic moves none of the lungers. The middle contact 8 is norma y in engagement with the lower contact 9, and hence the circuit is continued to contact 47, and thence to magnet 52 as has already been described. From magnet 52 the path of the circuit is through wire 67, to one le of the battery 68, and back to the mid le contact 8 and thence lock a magnet 34 and back to the battery through wire 66. In this way the recorder is operated to record a key, a

lock, locking or unlocking, and inside and outside insertion of a key, even though the particular key moved none of the plungers 5,

and even though the direction of turnin of the key does not result in the closing'b contacts 22. Whenever a .ke is fully turned in a lock, the lever 21 is t rown back and locked in this position by the armature 33 of the ma'gl net 34. But assume that at the moment when a person starts to operate one lock some other. of the group of locks connected with the recorder is being operated, then it will be impossible to turn the key in the said one lock beyond a certain point until the said other lock has been full orunlocked. This is accomplished' by the use in each lock of a magnet 34 which is in a circuit -69 and which is completed in the lock by any turnin motor therein.

It has been shown that when a key is inserted and turned the 1ever24 and cam 28 is shifted andthe bar 30 controllin 32 is forced back by its pin 29. ne of the contacts at the right hand end of the groups shown in Fi 16 and marked 70 in this figure and alsogFig. 9 is set closer to the opposite contacts so as to lactually en with its opposite contact as soon as the ever 24 has beenv forced back and before an other operation by the lock has been per ormed. If -at such a movement as is now under considerati'on, therefore, the circuit of the recorder motor 71 has been completed by any other lock, an interlocking'magnet 72 in this circuit in the recorder is energized, and this m et closes the circuit through wires 76 an 77 from one pole of the battery and wires 69, 73 and 78 back to the other pole. be

The magnet 34 will therefore be energized and the lever 27 released by its armature.

As the key is turned rthereafter a pin 44 set in lever 24 and lyin in the plane of the disk 13 is engaged by e long projection 17 on that disk and the key is therefore locked locked movement of a key, and in the recorder y the starting of the few parts as possible.

--shQWm is accomplished by setting up percontacts 4 and it cannot be turned further until the operation of the other lock is completed, when magnet 34 will be demagnetwed.

Hence when this condition is met with the usery of a key must wait until his lock is free, then turn his key back to reset the lever 24, when he can operate his lock without hindrance.

A feature of this lock which may be inferred from the above descri tion butwhich has not been specifically set orth in the following: In the normal operation of the lo'ck, f

the turning of the key steadily in one direction causes the contacts to be brought together and then separated. f, The construclfrom partly turning the key in the lock and permitting the recorder to keep on operating continuously as it would do if this special means` were not provided to prevent it. As I -have indicated above I have designed the lock herein described to meet the case where eight locks and eight keys for each lock are provided for, vand this involves at least three plungers, as distinguished vfrom lock plungers on each side of the lock.

A less number of locks and keys would require fewer plungers, but the fundamental "idea in this regard is to provide for the recording of any one of a large number of keys and locks .by as few circuits and as This, as I have mutation and combinations, of a llmlted number of circuit cbnnections.

It`will be observed that the ,lock above described has-vev few and extremely sim le parts for accomp ishing the purposes of t is invention. These parts are not subject, moreover, to derangement or displacement, which is not true ofthe devicesheretofore used, especially when they are subjected to violent shocks and-'jars such as ma result from the hammering of the door. A l problems of synchronous action between the lock and the recorder mechanisms are entirely avoided, and so long as the connecting or line circits remain intact, the system is operative and not likel to get out of order.

The recorder whic I use has 'been specially designed for this system and it will described 1n detail in a separate application. In the present case it is shown and describedl only so far as is nry to set forth in a general way its functions in relation to the operation of the lock itself.

What I now claim is:

1. In a recording lock the combination with keys adapted to o crate the same but otherwisehaving s cia conformation, of a series of key tumb ers or plungers ada ted to be moved or set in different permutations and combinations by the insertion of a key, circuits controlled by said plungers and running to a recorder, normally separated contacts in. said circuits and means for closing the same controlled by the turning of a key in the lock.

2. In a recording lock the combination with key-controlled mechanism of circuits running to a recorder, contacts in said circuits which are normally separated, means controlled by the turnin of the key in the lock for simultaneousl ringing said contacts together, means or rendering certain of a limited group of said contacts inoperative whereby permutations and combinations of said group of circuits may be set up in the various locks to indicate and record any one of a series of said locks that may be operated.

p 3. In a recording lock the combination with a series of key tumbler-s or plungers adapted to be moved or set in variouspermutations and combinations by an inserted `key, circuits controlled by said plungers that when brou ht into action thereby indicate .the particu ar key inserted and such other data as whether the key was inserted from without or within, or whether it was used to unlock or lock the lock, and other circuits adapted to be brought permanently into action in various permutations and combinations to indicate the particular lock, and means for closing all of said circuits to a recorder operated by the turning of a key in the lock.

4. In a recording lock the-combination of a limited number of circuits running therefrom to a recorder, and means in said lock for rendering active and closing said circuits inv various permutations and combinations by the insertion and turning of a key to indicate any one of a plurality of keys used,

any one of a plurality of locks operated and such other data as to Whether the key was inserted from without or within or whether it was used to unlock or lock the lock.

5. In a recording lock the combination with a series of key plungers adapted to be' with a rotary barrel and levers controlled by cams thereon, a series of-circuits leading to a recorder and normally separated contact points therein adapted to be brought together by said levers when a key is turned in the lock, a series of key-controlled plungers and contacts in certain of said circuits adapted to be operated in various permutations and combinations by said plungers according to the key inserted in the lock, and certain other circuits adapted to berenderd inoperative in various permutations and combinations, whereby when the said contacts are brought together all of the circuits that have been brought into active condition will be completed b the recorder to indicate the lock operated, t e key used and whether inserted from without or within.

In a recording lock system the combination of a lock and a recorder, contacts in the lock adapted to be closed by a partial and opened by a complete movement of the key for operating the recorder, and means in the recorder for sending back to the lock a releasin im ulse which opens the contacts in case t e ey has been only partially turned. l v

In testimony whereof I hereto ax my signature.

JAMES W. BRYCE. 

